Source for Prefarbicated Butterfly Hatch?

[wampum]

Does anyone know of a company of individual who fabricates a teak/stanless steel/glass cabin top butterfly hatch? I'm looking for one approximatley 30-36" long but dimensions are flexible.

[Vinny&Shawn]

I am in Danbury,Conn., visiting my family but when I get back to Maine, I think there might be one that would work. But is this for a rebuild,new construction,do you have any pics.?

[Jay Greer]

They are not all that hard to build. There is just enough work there to keep a feller out of the bars for a few weeks. Nice to be able to say you done it yourself.
Jay

[Bob Cleek]

And to add to Jay's observation, you'll save a whole lot of money building it yourself over paying somebody else to do it. Because there is limited call for them (most boats with them came with them when they were launched) and every boat has a different size, more or less, nobody ever offered them "off the shelf."

[StevenBauer]

Lefty could build you one. And he's in Ct. I've built one for a customer once, fun project.


Steven

[wampum]

I've always loved these things and now that I'm getting ready to refit an old boat without one, I'm considering adding one to a cabin house with presently a Lewmar hatch. Might be nice. I just don't have the skill/tools/time to build it myself and am hoping to save some labor expense by finding a quality pre-fabbed unit that I could at least shape to the camber of the roof top myself.

Worst case, it might be a fun project to try if someone has a blueprint.

[The Bigfella]

I think I did a thread on it a few years back. I'll see if I can find it. I used a couple of WB articles.

[The Bigfella]

Here it is.

Thank the miserable sods at Sony (I won't ever buy Sony again) for the lack of photos. I'll see if I can put some back up later on (gotta dash... and return some borrowed clamps).

btw ... these were my first ever dovetail joints IIRC.

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67118&highlight=Duffy+Dodge

[The Bigfella]

OK, some photos. This took around a week to build (not full time) and another week or ten days to get enough varnish on.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff112/igatenby/iansecond/a11.jpg

I started with 1 1/2 rough sawn timber (Queensland Maple). The plans were a combination of the Duffy Dodge hatch and a ventilating hatch from WB articles - all that was needed to get me to here. The chrome trim is chromed brass strip that we brazed up and some silicon bronze screws that I had chromed (the chromers lost some....) The drainage tube was a bit of approx 3mm thick wall brass pipe that we cut in half on a mill (PITA) and I then painted with clear lacquer. I installed the hatch with bedding compound.

This shows its new home. 1/2" thick toughened glass up front. There is a disadvantage with this. People inside can see what is going on on the foredeck. One forumite got an ugly view involving another forumite and a bucket about 6 months back.... A minor price to pay for all the extra light and ventilation though.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff112/igatenby/iansecond/a2.jpg

The inside bar that my youngest is hitting with the heat gun (encouraging the epoxy to hurry up) stops any water that comes in the front and diverts it to the drainage holes. Air goes straight over the top. Its warm enough down here that I don't even put the solid panel in for winter.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff112/igatenby/iansecond/a5.jpg

Its a good project. Do it at home, easy to rectify any problems... take your time.

[wampum]

Very nice, Bigfella! Thanks so much.